Aston Martin's first motorcycle is nearly here

Revealed last November at EICMA, the ground-breaking turbocharged motorcycle has been developed in conjunction with historic British motorcycle manufacturer Brough Superior, combining design from the former and the engineering from the latter to create a ‘piece of automotive art’. Just 100 units of the track-only motorcycle will be built, each with the eyewatering price tag of €108,000 (£93,300).

The focus of the track testing is reportedly on the chassis, with the team assessing its geometry, ergonomics and dynamic behaviour. Meanwhile, the 182PS (180bhp) turbocharged, intercooled DOHC, 997cc, V-twin is reportedly undergoing bench testing simultaneously. Thanks to a host of carbon-fibre components, the model weighs just 180kg dry, thus lending a power-to-weight ratio of one horsepower per kilogramme. While this is Brough Superior’s first V-twin turbocharged engine, there have long been rumours that the gaping 88-degree V was designed to fit a turbo inside.

In terms of design, the AMB 001 features aerodynamic flanks reminiscent of Aston Martin’s S-Curve, plus a fin mirroring the manufacturer’s famous side strakes, running the length of the tank.

Commenting on the design, Brough Superior CEO Thierry Henriette said: “One of the key design features of the AMB 001 is an aluminium fin that runs along the full length of a carbon-fibre tank, passing under the saddle and out onto the rear. The body holding the fin and supporting the saddle is one of the areas where we called on the unique knowledge of Mecano ID, who joined the project to apply specialist aerospace-quality carbon-fibre skills to the exclusive AMB 001.”

Aston Martin Executive Vice President and Chief Creative Officer, Marek Reichman added: “Everybody involved has managed to make tremendous progress with the development of AMB 001, despite the challenges we have all been facing. This special motorcycle is, like our road cars, the result of beautiful design melding with modern technology to produce a bike that any collector will be proud of. We are delighted to see how much progress has been made, both on and off track and look forward to the moment when production starts for this stunning machine.”

All 100 AMB 001s will be hand-assembled at the Brough Superior factory in Toulouse, France, from this Autumn, followed by first deliveries at the end of the year.